Emirati-linked firms’ ownership of Manchester land ‘up 39%’ in ten years

Economic ties face scrutiny after scandal over Manchester City’s financial rules

• ‘That’s the way the city works’: how the UAE changed the face of Andy Burnham’s Manchester

Emirati-linked companies own almost 40% more land in Greater Manchester than a decade ago, Guardian analysis reveals, as the city’s economic ties face scrutiny after Manchester City’s financial rules scandal.

The number of land titles in Greater Manchester owned by United Arab Emirates-linked companies increased from 51 in 2016 to 168 in 2026, equivalent to a 39% rise in the total area owned in a decade, from 73 to 101 hectares (180 to 250 acres).